Vermont Cider

What Vermont Cider does

Vermont Cider Company (legal entity: Vermont Hard Cider Company LLC) is a privately held craft beverage producer founded in 1991 and headquartered in Middlebury, Vermont. The company operates a multi-brand alcoholic beverage portfolio spanning hard ciders and spirit-based ready-to-drink (RTD) canned cocktails. Its flagship brand is Woodchuck Hard Cider, positioned as the original American hard cider that started the American Cider Revolution in 1991; the portfolio is rounded out by Wyder's Cider, a fruit-forward line using untraditional cider fruit varieties, and Day Chaser, a newer line of spirit-based RTD cocktails featuring real tequila and vodka with real fruit juice and sparkling water at 100 calories. Production is centralized at a single cidery facility in Middlebury, where the company states that cider makers oversee batch-level quality before any bottle or keg leaves the facility.

The business model is a consumer packaged goods play built around wholesale distribution, supplemented by direct-to-consumer sales. Wholesale distribution to retail and on-premise accounts is managed through a partnership with Smartfish Group, which centralizes wholesaler relationships for all three brands. Direct-to-consumer revenue is generated through the Cider House and Tap Room in Middlebury, VT, offering 20 ciders on tap, self-guided tours, tastings, and merchandise (open Wednesday through Sunday). The target customer is legal-drinking-age adults seeking craft alternatives to beer and wine, with horizontal segmentation across at-home consumption, social gatherings, and outdoor occasions.

The company markets through individual brand websites (woodchuck.com, wyders.com, daychaser.com), a corporate site (vtciderco.com), and Instagram accounts. It is a privately held LLC with no disclosed headcount, funding history, ownership structure, management team, financials, or external investors in the available data. The company holds registered trademarks for the Woodchuck, Wyder's, and Day Chaser brand names. There are no disclosed certifications, regulatory actions, mergers or acquisitions, leadership changes, or AI/technology platforms — competitive positioning rests on brand heritage, multi-brand portfolio breadth, and cidery craftsmanship rather than proprietary technology.

Name

Vermont Cider

Legal name

Vermont Hard Cider Company LLC

Website

https://vtciderco.com

Company type

Private

Founded year

1991

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

51–100 employees

Short description

Vermont Cider Company is a privately held craft beverage producer founded in 1991 in Middlebury, VT. It sells Woodchuck Hard Cider, Wyder's Cider, and Day Chaser spirit-based RTD cocktails via wholesale distribution and an on-site tap room.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Hard Cider & Craft Beverages

NAICS

Wineries (312130), Beverage Manufacturing (3121), Wine and Distilled Alcoholic Beverage Merchant Wholesalers (42482)

SIC

Beverages (2080)

akta.pro primary industry

Cider & Perry Producers & Brands (CRADAIAE)

akta.pro secondary industries

Cider & Perry Production (AFAFAAAD), Ready-to-Drink (RTD) Alcoholic Beverage Production (Canned Cocktails, Hard Seltzer) (AFAFAAAE), Cideries & Meadery Tasting Rooms (THAFALAI)

Keywords

• Craft hard cider
• Spirit-based cocktails
• Ready-to-drink beverages
• Alcoholic beverage production
• Cidery tap room

Headquarters

HQ city

Middlebury

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2C

Offering type

Hardware or Manufacturing

Cost components

Supply Chain, Operations, Personnel, Marketing or Sales, Infrastructure

Revenue model

1. Hard Cider Sales: Sale of premium hard cider products including Woodchuck and Wyder's brands through wholesale distribution
2. Spirit-Based RTD Cocktail Sales: Sale of Day Chaser spirit-based ready-to-drink canned cocktails
3. Cidery Tap Room: Direct-to-consumer sales through the cidery's tap room offering 20 ciders on tap plus merchandise

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels2 records

Marketing channels4 records

Core offering

Vermont Cider Company manufactures and sells craft alcoholic beverages across three brands: Woodchuck Hard Cider (the original American hard cider), fruit-forward Wyder's Cider, and Day Chaser spirit-based ready-to-drink canned cocktails featuring real tequila, real vodka, real fruit juice, and sparkling water. Products are produced at the company's cidery in Middlebury, Vermont and distributed through wholesale partnerships (managed by Smartfish Group) to retail and on-premise accounts, with additional direct-to-consumer sales at the on-site Cider House and Tap Room.

Product overview

Vermont Cider Co. is a cider and spirit-based RTD cocktail company that crafts a portfolio of alcoholic beverages. The company operates as a multi-brand portfolio comprising three distinct product lines: Woodchuck Hard Cider (the original American hard cider that pioneered the American cider revolution), Wyder's Cider (fruit-forward ciders using unconventional fruit varieties), and Day Chaser (spirit-based ready-to-drink canned cocktails with real tequila and vodka). Additionally, the company operates a physical Cider House and Tap Room in Middlebury, VT, offering tastings and tours. The portfolio is designed to serve diverse consumer preferences across the cider and RTD cocktail categories.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Brands

• Woodchuck Hard Cider: Original American hard cider that started the American Cider Revolution. Premium hard cider crafted with attention to quality and craftsmanship.
• Wyder's Cider
• Day Chaser

Products and services

• Woodchuck Hard Cider Premium hard cider credited with starting the American Cider Revolution in 1991; crafted with meticulous attention to quality and craftsmanship at the Middlebury, Vermont cidery. Sold through wholesale distribution and at the cidery tap room.
• Wyder's Cider Eclectic fruit-forward hard ciders crafted for over two decades using untraditional cider fruit varieties to create unique refreshing beverages. Sold through wholesale distribution.
• Day Chaser Spirit-Based RTD Cocktails Spirit-based ready-to-drink canned cocktails featuring real tequila and real vodka, made with real fruit juice and sparkling water. 100 calories, gluten-free, no added sugar. Sold through wholesale distribution.
• Cider House and Tap Room Direct-to-consumer visitor experience at the Middlebury, Vermont cidery offering self-guided tours, tastings, branded merchandise, and 20 ciders on tap. Open Wednesday through Sunday.

Segments1 record

Ideal customer profiles2 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Feature3 records

Partnerships

Two partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.

• Smartfish GroupcoreChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorSmartfish Group manages wholesale distribution for Vermont Cider Co., handling wholesaler relationships and inquiries for the company's cider products including Woodchuck, Wyder's, and Day Chaser.
• PaylocityminorOthersPaylocity recruiting platform hosts Vermont Cider Company's careers page and job listings, enabling candidate applications through their ATS system.

Scale indicators2 records

Recent moves1 record

Expansion highlights3 records

Direct peers

• Bold Rock Hard Cider: Bold Rock is a US craft cidermaker operating in a similar category with comparable production and wholesale distribution. It directly competes with Woodchuck and Wyder's in the premium craft cider segment with branded retail presence.
• 2 Towns Ciderhouse: 2 Towns Ciderhouse is a craft cidermaker with national distribution, a tap room, and a fruit-forward cider portfolio similar to Wyder's. It competes with Vermont Cider across craft retail and on-premise channels.
• Citizen Cider: Citizen Cider is a Vermont-based craft cidermaker with a cidery and tap room in Burlington, VT. It shares geographic and product overlap with Vermont Cider, including direct competition in Northeast retail and on-premise.
• High Noon (E&J Gallo): High Noon is the dominant US spirit-based RTD canned cocktail brand, owned by E&J Gallo. It directly competes with Day Chaser in the same spirit-based RTD category with substantially greater scale and distribution.
• Cutwater Spirits: Cutwater Spirits is a leading spirit-based RTD cocktail producer with a broad flavored canned cocktail portfolio. It is a direct competitor to Day Chaser in the spirit-based RTD segment, with distribution and brand-building resources at greater scale.
• Austin Eastciders: Austin Eastciders is a craft cidermaker with national distribution and a flavor-forward portfolio. It competes directly with Woodchuck and Wyder's in the premium craft cider segment across retail and on-premise channels.
• Schilling Hard Cider: Schilling is a craft cidermaker with a tap room and a flavor-forward cider portfolio. It competes directly with Vermont Cider in the craft cider category, particularly in the Pacific Northwest and on national retail distribution.
• Stem Ciders: Stem Ciders is a craft cidermaker with a cidery and tap room operation. It shares the craft cidery-plus-tap room operating model with Vermont Cider and competes in the premium craft cider category.

Broad incumbents

• Boston Beer Company (Angry Orchard): Boston Beer operates Angry Orchard, the largest US hard cider brand. It is a broad incumbent with a much wider portfolio (Samuel Adams, Truly, Twisted Tea) but directly competes with Vermont Cider in the cider category with greater scale and distribution.

Emerging players

• Truly Hard Seltzer (Boston Beer): Truly is a leading hard seltzer brand from Boston Beer and competes for the same low-calorie, gluten-free adult beverage occasions that Day Chaser targets. While not a cider, it is a competitor within the broader premium flavored alcoholic beverage space where Day Chaser is positioned.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat3 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

• Instagraminstagram.com/woodchuckcider
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/vermont-hard-cider-company-llc

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

M&A

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about Vermont Cider